Electrical appliance.



J. s. STEWART.

V. I ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE.

k APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2?. 1909.

93 1 ,5 1 8. Patented Au 17, 1909.

Mme; co: I (Jwvenloz Q M M SW @513 A14 H'O'Z-HQljS UNITED STATES PEIENT carton.

JAMES S. STEWART, OF NEW YURK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO ANNIE STEWART, OF NEWYORK, N. Y.

ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 17, 1909.

Application filed January 29, 1908. Serial N 0. 413,166.

To (lZ-l 'tL'/IOII2- 'it may concern:

lie it known that 1. JAMES S. STEWART, a citizen of the United States. residing at the city of New York. in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Appliances, of which the following is a full. clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to appliances for electric wiring. and more particularly to r ceptacles for molding wiring, where the circuit wires-are run along a wall or ceiling in the longitudinal g'L'UOHS of a molding.

The present invention covers more particularly a form of receptacle in which a single insulating block carries a threaded shell and a central stud terminal for a lamp and has curved passages in which the circuit wires are received. These parts are covered up in the finished article by a metallic. vitreous, or other outside casing.

I provide improved means for securing the base or body block to the molding, and also for attaching the casing in place. For this purpose. I employ the usual fastening screws in conjunction with certain interlocking parts, as hereinafter described. I also provide other features of construction, particularly a way by whiclrthe threaded shell is secured to the base block with great security and without deperdence on the usual fastening screws. I also provide for the free removal or attachment of the threaded shell to the base block. whenever desired. without removing any terminal screws. I also improve the. mica or insulating plate which is included between the central stud terminal and the bottom of the threaded shell. With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the features of contrut-lion and combination as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the tll'il\\lll fl Figure l is a top or plan view of the base or body block of a receptacle embodying the principles of my invention: Fig. i is a vertical section thereof on the line llll of Fig. 1: Fig. 3 i a side elevation of the base or body block in place upon a molding. the casing being shown in st'l'tlfltti Fig. l i a rtfl ion on the line IVIV ot' l: l-'i'g. 7 is an end elevation of the '5l-l|l 2: Fig. (3 i a d tail view showing a clamping wash: r employed in the construction: and Fig. 7 is a bottom view of the? threaded hell.

Referring to the drawings in which like parts designated by the same reference or insulating material forming the base of the. structure. This part is of the same general construction as hitherto proposed by me. having lateral grooved passages 2 on each side into which the circuit; wires are deflected upward and received. I, designates a Hat upper face on which the threaded shell 4 may r 5 indicates a central protuberance. preferably square in outline. which projects slightly above the plane. of the. surface 3. The central portion 4- of this protuberance is depressed to receive a central stud contact plate or stud T. S designates a screw extending dow'nwardly from the plate 7 to an L shaped clip or part 9 which extends into one of thepassages 2, and has a terminal screw 10 therein. These features as thus far described are substantially the same as hitherto constructed by me, and in themselves constitute no part. of the present invention. The threaded shell 4 has riveted, soldered. or otherwise attachtal to its bottom face. an L-shapedclip 12 of which one leg or member extends radially outward along the bottom face of the threaded shell to or slightly beyond the periphery thereof.. as learly shown in Figi". The other leg '4 extends downward so as to lie against the in ide flat face of passage of the base block hen the threaded shell is in place thereof. In prac;

of passage continuous with an edge of the protulxu-ancc 5, as shown in Fig. 2.

l5 designates a terminal screw receivedin the leg H of the clip 12. Both terminal screw-s10 and 15 extend completely through the clips in which they are received and are headed over slightly on their inside ends at II. the body 1 of the receptacle being slightly recessed inwardly at points to accomnnnlatc the screws.

denote ears formed integral with the clips 9 and 12 and which prtulnce shoulders to engage the circuit wires.

The body or base block 1 is cut away on one side by a deep rectangular recess 21 the upper face 3 of the block. The transver e width of the recess :2 exactly corresponds to the width of the clip 12 on the threaded shell so that whcn the threaded i shell is positioned on the block, its. clip 1;

sign. 1 indicates a block or body of porcelain tire. I prefer to construct this inside flat face which joins the passage 2 of this side with .said passage. in this relation by screws 22 which pass upward through the block into threaded holes 522' of a clamping washer 23 (see Fig. 6).

will enter the recess 21 with a close and accurate fit. As the recess 21 connects with the passage 2 on this side of the block, it is clear thatthe-leg 14 may extend t'reely down into The threaded shell is secured The object of this construction is to provide a very secure fastening to resist any angular movement of the threaded shell on thehlock 1. It is evident that the leg 13 of the clip 12 fol-ins a sort of a key which is very strong and rigid and engages a recess of such di mensions in.the bloclt l as to resist any turn-- mg strains which may he applied to the threaded'shell. In this way. the turning strains :irc removed from the screws '12 and from the portion of the threaded shell which engages the square protuberance Notonly is a fastening of great security thus provided, but it will be noted that a perfectelectrical connection is made from the ,threaded shell to the corresponding circuit.

wire. The clip 12 is virtually a part of the a threaded shell '(being preferably soldered thereto) and the connection of the circuit wire is made directly to said lip 12. In

" L addition to these advantageous results, the 30 threaded shell is freely removable and replacealile upon the block I, the clip 12 being capable of entering downward through the recess 2t without removing, the terminal screw 15. Accordingly. the terminal screw may he riveted or headed over at its inside end to preventremoval which is a very ad-' vantageous feature in,practice.

'lhecasing .5 may be made of sheet metal (with a vitreous coating. it desired) and is 1.

of a form and size to litover the block 1 ill binding-the threaded shell 4 lixcd thereto.

26 denotes a lining or sheathing of insulating material. which is'placcd around the ing parts.

threaded shell to separate the same from'lhe casing At each end the casing has an incut portion '27 of a width and size to tit over the ends 28 of the block 1. .\t these points the casing has a certain interlocking relation or engagement with the block 1 50' which constitutes an exceedingly important feature of the present invention.

It, will be noted that the block-1 has integral bosses 30,, 30, thereon at each end which project slightly above the plane of the surrounding parts. These bosses have holes 31, 31', through which ordinary screws may be passed to screw the block to a molding or in an desired relation. At their outer ends, neither of these bosses has a face which is square or normal to the surround- As clearly shown in Fig. 4, the boss 30 is provided with an undercut face or shoulder 32, while the boss 30 at, the opposite side has a faced? which constitutes av 'cain surface or incliniwhich has a wedgiiig function. The casing 23 has a portion ii-i which ,is dellccted forward to engage tht undercut. shoulder 32 (see l ig. 3). thi the opposite side of the casing-.5, an edge i provided which rides downward on the in clined tace ot the boss 31 and cams or wedges the casing sidewise during srich ii'iovenient. and liloelt' are such that as the asing ir caliinicd or moved sidcwise in this waig'tliiedge 34 passes under and is tightly engaged beneath the ledge 32.

The use and operation is as: follows: The block 1 is first positioned upon the molding or iii any desired relation. as l2tl\\'ll iii Fig. 3. in which position it is initially sc cured by a single screw It) through the hole 31. ot' the boss iitl having an undercut ledgc ,2. It will he noted that the. casing 25 is not in place at this time. lint. notwithstanding this fact. the screw .10 is permanently driven into place and serves the Function of holding the base or hotly block 1 in place while the wiring connections are being made. The. circuit wires li'are stripped tor a por- .tion of their lcn 'tli'titt iind en a n.- u ion the 35 will force itto the left iii'l ig. 3, thereby locking the engagement of the. edge Z34 with the undercut ledge 3'2. It is evident that an absolutely tight engagement of the screw I h is not. necessary to hold the casing in place.

The vertical extent of the cam face 35 is sutticiently great to maintain the locking tltgagemeiit. at 32 notwithstanding aeconsiderable looseness ot' the screw 41. 1 therefore fasten the casing of the receptacle in place with substantially as great security as .it'

two separate screws were passed theretlllOtV'll at; each t[ld, bttt an additional funetion has been obtained by the 'screw It), namely, the initial holding of the base or body block 1 in place while th connections were being made.

-.'\n additional feature-of the present invention lies in the'way in which the central stud terminal 7 isinsulated from the washer .23 which holds the threaded shell in Place.

44 designates a niica disk of a size to [it witliin the threaded shell and surround the central stud terminal. 1 lorin thc di h 41 with a small round central hole of a sin: just,

sulliciclit. to receive the screw S. and inaltc the cap T of a size slightly less than tli tll|)l'tf The dimensions of the casing .the square cap sion (3 in the protuberancei'). In this way, 7 embosses the central portion of the mica disk 44 evenly into the square recess 6 of the prtiituberanceo, in which relation it is clamped and held. The result. is a fastening of great security for'the mica disk, which, otherwise, would only be prevented from rotating by the frictional pressure of the clamping engagement. I regard this as important in practice, because. turning strains are frequently applied to the mica disk which would otherwise tend to loosen and unscrew the centralterminal. At the same time, the mica is made to constitute a very etlicient insulating barrier, since it inter-poses a partition or wall at every point between the central stud terminal and i the surrounding parts of Opposite polarity.

'hat I claim. 1s:-

1. An electrical appliance comprising a base or body block having an undercut ledge and having a cam or wedge face. and :1 casing having a portion adapted to be received beneath said ledge and haviug a portion entirely rigid therewith and cooperating with 1 said cam face to impel said portion of the casing laterally and into locking engagement with said ledge.

2. An electrical appliance comprising a base or body block having an undercut ledge at one end and having a cam face at its other end inclined downwardly and away fromsaid ledge, and a casing having a portion adapted to engage beneath said ledge. and a portion entirely rigid therewith and adapt.- ed to ride on said cam face to impel the said casing laterally and lock it in its engagement with said ledge.

3. An electrical appliance comprising a base or body block having a boss at each end,

- one of said bosses having an undercut ledge and the other boss having a cam face inclined downwardly and away from said ledge, a casing having a portion fitting beneath said ledge and having another portion engaging said cam face to impel and lock the casing in such engagement with said ledge.

4. An electrical appliance comprising a base or body block having a screw hole atand having a grooved passage on one side to l i receive a circuit wire, a threaded shell having 1 a clip permanently attached thereto and extending downward into said passage, -sa1d block being entirely cut away on its side to l l l I I 3 receive said clip and permit the lateral rcmoval of the same with its connected shell,

and a terminal screw having a riveted-over extremity in said clip whereby it is permanently connected thereto. v

(3. An electrical appliance comprising a l threaded shell, a base or body block having a top face with a central integral protuberancc, said protuberance having a non-circucentral stud terminal within said depression, and an insulating disk clamped in said depression by said plate and separating said plate from the threaded shell.

7. An electrical appliance comprising a threaded shell, :1 base or body block havi an integral protuberance. said protuberance having a square central depression, a square contact plate of less size than said central depression, means for clamping said contact plate in said depression, and an insulating disk embossed downward into said depres-. sion by said clamping plate, whereby said plate is separated from the threaded shell.

In witness whereof, I subscribe my signature. in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK S. OBEB, W'ALDQ M. CHAPIN.

lar depression, a contact plate forming a- 

